WATCH: When We Were Kings Documentary| Remembering Muhammad Ali

Toronto, ON, Canada / Q107 Toronto

June 07, 2016 09:12 am

Remembering Ali

A procession and funeral for Muhammad Ali will be taking place in Louisville, Kentucky this Friday.

The greatest boxer of all-time will be laid to rest in his home town and a eulogy will be given by former U.S. President Bill Clinton. Also, comedian-actor Billy Crystal and sports journalist Bryant Gumble are expected to speak at a public memorial service with at least 20,000 people in attendance. Former world heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and actor Will Smith have been confirmed to be pallbearers at Ali’s funeral.

The procession is slated to go through the main streets of Louisville, including the avenue that’s been named after him. It will also go to Broadway, where there was a procession held in 1960 to celebrate Ali’s Olympic gold medal.

Born Cassius Clay on Jan. 17, 1942, Ali started boxing at the age of 12 and won a gold medal as a light heavyweight in the 1960 Olympic Games, but is most remembered for his legendary fights with Joe Frazier, which included the “Thrilla in Manila”.

Ali was as deadly with his insults as he was with his fists in the ring, famously using the line “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” He simply was “The Greatest”.

Muhammad Ali will be laid to rest at 2 p.m. local time on Friday and buried at the Cave Hill Cemetery.